A South Dublin councillor has rubbished the idea that there's a north-south divide in the city.

Cllr Mannix Flynn says there is no favouritism towards the southside by the city council.

Cllr Flynn slated fellow Independent city councillor Nial Ring after he accused Dublin City Council of installing inferior-looking anti-terror planters on Henry Street to those across the Liffey on Grafton Street.

Some of the planters guarding Henry Street

Cllr Flynn told Dublin Live that Cllr Ring should "really check his facts" and that "this is a serious matter about protecting people in Dublin".

This follows a report on RTE in which Cllr Ring insinuated that Henry Street was lumped with reinforced plant pots which looked like "they were thrown together by a first-year metal work student".

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Cllr Ring today described the look of the Henry Street plant pots as "absolutely appalling", telling the Herald that by contrast, the planters on Grafton Street looked as though they were handcrafted by "master carpenters".

Howwever, Cllr Flynn said the planters were installed as a safety precaution to prevent any attack on Dublin pedestrians.

He added: "They were rushed onto the streets. Any idea of prejudice is ridiculous, they are a safety and security measure."

In response to this, Cllr Ring told Dublin Live that while there may be no blatant discrimination, there seems to be "an unconscious mindset" that the north side of the city is sometimes neglected.

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"We need to be vigilant. The northside needs to be protected," added Cllr Ring.

Dublin City Council have denied any idea of discrimination.

Dublin Live revealed last week that new armored planters were rolled out before Christmas in order to prevent terror attacks like those see in Nice, Barcelona and London.

Barriers similar to these can be seen across some of Europe's major cities.

The planters, which appear as large flower pots, have been positioned in various entrances to Grafton Street and Henry Street.

The €50,000 bollards were put out at the two main pedestrian zones in conjunction with An Garda Siochana.

The move came following a string of terror attacks involving trucks, in which over 100 people were killed, across Europe over the last 18 months.

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A source told Dublin Live: "These planters are in place to stop cars and trucks from entering Henry and Grafton Steet.

"The blockades will stop, or at least severely slow down, any vehicles unlawfully entering the streets."